Former UTSA interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Mauli Agrawal, shakes hands with military personnel. Photo courtesy of The Creative Commons

UTSA interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs C. Mauli Agrawal was selected as Chancellor of the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), effective June 20, 2018.

Agrawal first came to San Antonio in 2003, joining UTSA at the UT Health Science Center.

Prior to being provost, he served as Dean for the College of Engineering and the Vice President for Research.

“Mauli brings skills and experience that will be invaluable as we work together and with leaders of the campus, the Greater Kansas City community and the University of Missouri System to create the great university that UMKC deserves to be,” Barbara Bichelmeyer, interim Chancellor of UMKC, said in an email to Kansas City’s local radio station.

Agrawal was one of 24 candidates reviewed by the UMKC search team. From three finalists, University of Missouri System President Mun Choi chose Agrawal.

“I’m confident that the university will reach new heights of success in research, education and outreach through his leadership,” Choi said.

Agrawal’s departure came just months after UTSA sent an email announcing its nationwide search for a new Provost and Vice-President of Academic Affairs last December. Wheless Partners, an executive search and leadership consulting firm, is listed as the agency to contact for submissions on the position.

The Provost reports directly to the President and is the Chief Academic Officer who offers UTSA guidance and leadership. Agrawal’s announcement occurred before the UTSA Provost Search Committee made a decision.

When speaking with The Paisano, UTSA President Taylor Eighmy expressed gratitude for Agrawal’s impact and leadership at the university.

“In my world, these kind of changes happen all the time. People come, people go. If you plan correctly, you can put interim people in place; that works,” Eighmy said.

“We launched our provost search in November, and we expect to have a new provost in place before he departs, so, we will be fine there,” Eighmy said. “We expect that he will do a wonderful job in his new role and wish him the absolute best.”

Agrawal called his time at UTSA an “incredible journey” and said though he and his wife, Sue, will miss UTSA, he is excited for his new position at UMKC.

UMKC staff and leadership echoed an interest in Agrawal’s ability to understand the role higher education institutions play in economic development.

“It is good for institutions to send off their people to go do other big things because that says a lot about UTSA and Mauli,” Eighmy said. “It’s also good to bring in new blood to bring a fresh perspective to the outside, so there’s good in change.”

The Provost search committee consists of 21 UTSA personnel, made up of faculty, staff and university administrators. The committee is expected to identify its candidates early this year and aims to hire a new Provost by the end of the spring semester. Students can read the entire proposal by visiting utsa.edu/financialaffairs/tuitionfees/proposals.